Hi, I am Rachel.

I get lost easily.
I eat popcorn too quickly. 
I cry at the drop of a hat. 

I feel deeply. 
I am a work-in-progress. 
I never claim to have the answers; navigating life with a sense of wonder and curiosity is much more my style.

When I did my student teaching in college, I was drawn to the kids whose desks were separated from the group. Seeing this injustice led me to become a special education teacher. 
I am an encourager and an includer.
Please don’t call me an influencer or a social media strategist.

I am happiest when I am outside walking beneath the trees. 
My cat Banjo is my ever-present source of peace.

My husband, Scott, and my daughters, Natalie and Avery, are my True North who help me stay true to myself when I get off track.
I am also learning to listen to the Dreamer Girl inside me.

When I was eight, my inner dreamer filled notebooks and envisioned being an author.
I didn’t become a published author until I was 38. 
There was a lot of pain during that thirty-year period of self-denial, but I am transforming it into purpose now.

I’ve been told I write in a way that feels personal, as if I am talking directly to the person reading my words. Perhaps that is because my goal for every piece I write is to touch one life.
Writing to please the masses is not why I am here.
Making one person feel unalone is my daily hope. 

I am afraid we are going to lose human connection in this world.
I am worried about our shrinking attention spans and growing ability to distract ourselves from feeling.
My students taught me that when someone’s world is crumbling, it is necessary to set aside the agenda and grasp for connection.

This is me grasping, through my books, my courses, my keyboard,
And now… my Treehouse.

I created this Substack to have a space for us, protected from the deluge of social media, where I could share stories and practices around presence, self-reclamation, joy, self-compassion, and hope. At this stage of my life, it is necessary to move toward sustaining more of my life and family through my writing.

Whether you are a paid subscriber or a free subscriber, I am so glad you are here.
Please tell me about who you are – not just the favorable parts, but also the tender parts, the vulnerabilities, and insecurities.
That’s what connects us. 

I want to know you.

My hand in yours,
Rachel